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some people grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

im sorry if this comes out like some massive rant but i really need to let off some steam!
where i live, i have a park 5 mins away with a small playground etc. well i took bentley down there yesterday evening, there was 2 other dog owners (a great dane called molly who bentley adores and 3 newfoundlands) i must have been there about 30mins, i was chatting to molly's owner when i turned around and couldnt see bentley, but i could here him barking. thats when a mum, with her child, called me over and this is how the conversation went:
'oi, you with the little dog'

i went over to her

'you got the little black dog'
'yes, where is he?'
'as i came in her went out the gate, he's over there' pointing to the middle gate where bentley was running up and down wanting to get back in!!

now this park is on a semi main road, but that really isn't the point. who the hell in their right mind lets a dog just walk out of a park without its owner!!!! now i take full owness on the fact that i should have watched him better and believe me i beat myself up last night and cried myself to sleep as the thought of something happening to bentley kills me. BUT this is where my real rant comes into it. this park has 3 gates and iam always having to walk around the park closing them as it seems everyone just happily leaves them open! if it had been her child who i had let walk out do you think i would still have my teeth left, but when it comes to peoples dogs no one seems to care!! all it would have taken was a cat or something to catch bentleys eye and he would have dashed across the road and then what

my husband has made lamenate posters which we are going to put on all the gates stating the obvious:

'please close as dogs and children can escape'

to put the icing on the cake when i went back to the woman and asked why in her right mind would she let a dog freely out of the park she told me not to over react and it was only a dog! then to her child:

'come on, time to get back. eww what a disgusting smelly dog!'

to which i shot back:

'come on bentley, what a smelly disgusting child!'

(i know it was petty but i was so mad )

why am i expected to respect peoples children and yet, my dog who is part of my family by choice, doesn't get one smidge of respect from ignorant people like her!!!!!

what if something had happened, would she have paid my vet bills???

my emotions go between anger and self hatred as i should have been watching

i feel like a bad owner

xx

owned by bentley (tri) 'he makes me smile every day, even on those days when nothing else can'sullivan (lab) 'you have left a huge paw print on my heart and the pain is just a reminder that i loved and love you always'

Don't feel bad about this!..Maybe you should of watched Bentley a bit more, but maybe that woman should have not left the gate open.
I totally know how you feel, Murphy is like a child with fur and I hate the thought of anything hurting him..some people just do not understand the bond you can have with a pet, it is one of a kind, and never replaceable so I totally understand where you are coming from.
Atleast Bentley is safe and sound!
x

(safe and sound and soon to be covered in bubble wrap if i had my way ) its one of those situations that keeps going around and around my head, even thought bentley is snuggled up next to me i keep imagining what could have happened x

owned by bentley (tri) 'he makes me smile every day, even on those days when nothing else can'sullivan (lab) 'you have left a huge paw print on my heart and the pain is just a reminder that i loved and love you always'

You sound just like me and think of all the bad points lols, but when they mean so much to you it is heartbreaking even if they are at the tinyest bit of risk.
These beautiful dogs really do make us all soft and soppy! But I would not change that at all
x

(safe and sound and soon to be covered in bubble wrap if i had my way ) its one of those situations that keeps going around and around my head, even thought bentley is snuggled up next to me i keep imagining what could have happened x

Don't feel bad. It is one of those things. We can all tell tales of moments of forgetfulness and lucky escapes.

A good few years ago, when on a walk, I looked up from admiring the sun sparkling on a frosty meadow to see five of my cavaliers chasing ducks across a large frozen lake. Thank goodness the ice did not crack.

The important thing is we can learn from these episodes and never make the same mistake again.

Give Bentley a cuddle and forgive yourself.

Margaret C

Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi

So sorry to hear about how you're feeling.I think the horrid comment from the woman added insult to injury.I'd have been mad also if she'd have coined that phrase in front of me as it makes me see red Good idea with the laminates,this hopefully will save anything happening like this in the future to someone else's dog or child.

But like Margaret has said, we've all had near misses.I too have a similar story.We saw an old friend with her Westie cutting through the park, so we sat on the grass.Scarlett was only about 16 weeks at the time so thought it'd be nice for her to meet and play with Meg.Whilst Meg's mum and I were chatting, laid behind us, Scarlett and Meg had began chomping mud and grass.Scarlett had a dodgy tummy all night and I traumatised myself with thoughts of poisoning, pancreatic issues the lot.Turns out it was just too much grass but been new to dog owning, I panicked.I should have been watching her better

Dont beat yourself up over this.......it's a valuable lesson to learn, we all make mistakes and it isnt one you'll make again.
At least Bentley was trying to get back in and didnt just wander away across the road....good boy

As for the woman with the child who knows why she would be so stupid as to let a dog out of a park with no owner

bentleys hair is ummmmmmmm growing or at least i try and convince myself it is lol!!! my hubby can't tell a difference but i can see a wave beginning in his ear hair and the hair on his legs looks a tiny bit longer (wishful thinking?? moi?? )

thanks for all your kind words, i guess i can put this under live and let learn but i really wish i had been more careful

x

owned by bentley (tri) 'he makes me smile every day, even on those days when nothing else can'sullivan (lab) 'you have left a huge paw print on my heart and the pain is just a reminder that i loved and love you always'

I can , as many others, totally agree with you.I had gotten my little Cava last year and was so proud of her telling every one about her showing pics etc, like any proud mam! When at rehearsals ( i do musicals in spare time ) i was talking about her, and one of the women cut in and said :

oh i hate dogs, so needy and clingy and dont get me started about their smells, i hate them! and the way people go on and on and on about their dogs, get over it! yuk!

to which i was horrifed! so i shot back

oh i hate KIDS, so needy and clingy and dont get me started about their smells!and the way people go on and on and on about their KIDS, get over it! yuk!

( now id like to clarify i dont hate children , but i just retored before thinking and wanted to make a point! )

the women in question immedietly saw my point and apologised for what she said!

Dont beat yourself up too much about not watching Bentley when he got away, mine have escaped from my view a couple of times, they are like little Houdini's! Love his name BTW.

As much as I dislike most children,I couldn't have done that if it had been a dog or a child.So for the woman -who is a mother- to lock a dog out of a park is very worrying to me.I know dogs are not children but what happened to respecting each and others?

Whether it's a child, a dog, it's about respecting that someone cares and loves for that "just a dog" or the child.People like that woman fail to realise is that whilst an owner will panic and try to find their dog, the dog will too panic and try to get back, hence Bentley's behaviour at the gate - that's his person.Did that woman totally not see Bentley pacing back and forth? Even if I wasn't a dog owner, that would look wierd to me, just after shutting him out? :-(